Following Tom Hanks‘ appearance in an episode of Paramount+’s Yellowstone prequel series 1883, Variety reports that his wife, actress and singer Rita Wilson, will also guest star in an upcoming episode. Wilson will appear in the role of Carolyn, a storekeeper at Doan’s Crossing who helps Margaret — played by Faith Hill — decompress with some whiskey punch. Wilson, best-known her roles in films like Sleepless in Seattle, Jingle All the Way and Runaway Bride, has also appeared on a number of TV shows, including Pitch, Girls and The Good Wife…
The Crown‘s Tobias Menzies has been tapped for a starring role in Apple’s limited series Manhunt, which explores the assassination of former president Abraham Lincoln, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series, from Parenthood, The Leftovers and Fargo creator Monica Beletsky, is described as part historical fiction and part conspiracy thriller. Per THR, Manhunt “follows Lincoln’s war secretary and friend Edwin Stanton — played by Menzies — who was nearly driven to madness by his quest to catch John Wilkes Booth and carry out Lincoln’s legacy”…
NCIS has joined the growing number of network TV shows pausing production after someone, believed to be a cast member, tested positive for the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The CBS series may stay dark for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, NCIS: LA has delayed return to production until February, sources tell Deadline…
Cyrano star Kelvin Harrison Jr. has found his next role, playing American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in director Julius Onah‘s new film, Samo Lives, according to Variety. The biographical film will chronicle the career and impact of the groundbreaking New York-born, Haitian-Puerto Rican American artist whose seminal paintings and street art defined the Neo-expressionism arts movement of the 1980s. Epix’s The Godfather of Harlem and the feature The Trial of the Chicago 7…
Sopranos alum Michael Imperioli has signed on as a series regular in the second installment of HBO’s dark comedy series The White Lotus, according to Deadline. The original series followed visitors vacationing at an exclusive Hawaiian resort, called the White Lotus. The second installment, which is the follow-up to Mike White’s breakout social satire limited series, will leave Hawaii behind for a new location and is expected to follow a different group of vacationers at another White Lotus property, according to the entertainment website. Imperioli will play Dominic Di Grasso, a man traveling with his elderly father and recent-college-graduate son…
(HONG KONG) — The world’s top-ranked tennis player, Novak Djokovic, remains on Australian soil — for now at least — after having his visa to enter the country cancelled on arrival in Melbourne late on Wednesday evening for the Australian Open.
Djokovic’s legal team launched a challenge against a decision to deport him, but he will need to wait until Monday to learn if he can stay on to play in the tournament, which begins on Jan. 17.
In the meantime, it appears that the 34-year-old Serb will be staying in immigration detention at the Park Hotel in inner Melbourne, which normally houses asylum seekers.
In a statement, the Australian Border Force confirmed that Djkovoic’s evidence for a medical exemption did not meet the requirements for entry after arriving in Dubai.
Among the considerations raised at the court hearing on Thursday was whether Djokovic was able to be moved to another hotel with tennis facilities. Tennis Australia also made a request that the issue be sorted by Tuesday because it would muck up scheduling. To that, Judge Anthony Kelly said, “the tail won’t be wagging the dog here.”
The Serbian tennis star announced on Tuesday evening that he’d been granted a medical exemption to play at the Open, where he’s chasing a record 21 grand slam titles.
The announcement sparked a massive public backlash down under, with social media platforms, letters-to-the-editor and talkback radio in Australia flooded with criticism towards Djokovic, who has refused to divulge his COVID-19 vaccination status but last year said was opposed to it.
Omicron cases have exploded in Australia in recent weeks since domestic borders were opened, and Victorian residents have suffered some of the strictest COVID-19 controls in the world over the past two years. More than 90% of Australia’s over-16 population is fully vaccinated, but some people still cannot travel internationally or interstate because of the measures.
There appears to be a blame game between the federal and state governments over the Djokovic debacle. Minister Karen Andrews, who is leading the charge for the Australian government, says that “the Victorian government has questions to answer.” But the Victorian government denies there’s any “finger-pointing,” saying “State Governments in Australia can’t grant a visa. That’s a fact.”
Australia is expected to hold a federal election sometime in the coming months, which could help explain why the claws are out and why political points are out to be won here — and Australia is currently run by a Liberal Party government, while the Victorian state is run by the rival Labour Party — so the friction was already there.
And there is now a diplomatic spat at play, with Serbia clearly slighted over Djokovic’s treatment down under.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Djokovic was a victim of “harassment” and vowed to help through diplomatic channels. Vucic said the whole nation was behind him.
Morrison said the decision was not linked to “any particular position in relation to Serbia,” adding that the country was a “good friend” of Australia.
GAYLE made her national TV debut Wednesday night on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and in addition to performing her breakout hit, “abcdefu,” she told the story of the artwork that goes along with the song — and it’s not pretty.
The “abcdefu” single artwork is an x-ray of a hand with the middle finger broken at a pretty crazy angle. Turns out that’s the actual x-ray of GAYLE’s actual middle finger, which she broke while attempting to drag her dog out from under the bed so she could take her out.
“I tripped and fell at the same time and I went to catch myself,” GAYLE explained, noting that she landed on her middle fingers. “It was disgusting. It was terrible,” she laughs. Then, her mom — who had just had knee replacement surgery two weeks prior — had to drive her to the hospital.
“She’s trying to drive me [to the hospital]…she has a really bad gag reflex, if she sees anything that grosses her out…she was sitting there dry-heaving, and I’m like, ‘IT’S MY HAND This is my hand! You’re gonna throw up on my hand!'” the teen singer recalled, as Fallon cracked up.
GAYLE also talked about how “abcdefu” initially blew up on TikTok, and noted how amazed she is that it led to her Tonight Show appearance. “The fact that I’m here…I pretended that I’ve been sitting on this couch for years in my house, and now I’m here!” she marveled. “And it’s thanks to this app on my phone!”
The singer also revealed that she has a new single coming out this month.
John Mayer with Bob Weir & Mickey Hart of Dead & Company; C Flanigan/Getty Images
John Mayer has been forced to drop out of Playing in the Sand, a three-day destination festival in Mexico’s Riviera Cancun that he was scheduled to do with Dead & Company beginning this Friday.
On Instagram, Dead & Company said that just before he was set to leave for Mexico, John tested positive for COVID-19 and so is unable to travel and perform. “In these unprecedented times, fans should expect many rare and different tunes,” the group said in a statement.
Dead & Company’s Bob Weir added, “We came down here to have fun. Unfortunately some of our brothers cannot make it but fun is what we’re going to have.” The festival will continue with “special guests and sit ins,” the statement continued.
Another installment of Playing in the Sand is scheduled for January 13-16. It’s not clear if John will perform during that weekend.
Meanwhile, John is scheduled to kick off his solo tour in support of his latest album, Sob Rock, on February 17 in Albany, NY.
Fans of the late Betty White have found a great way to honor the actress.
The ‘Betty White Challenge,’ an online event set for January 17 — on what would’ve been the star’s 100th birthday — encourages people to donate $5 to animal rescue organizations in her name, according to Denver ABC affiliate KMGH-TV.
White, best known for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls, was known for her love of animals, and spent her life working with zoos and advocating for animals. In 2011, the lifelong animal lover published a book Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo, where she spoke about her work with animal nonprofits.
White passed away on December 31 at the age of 99.
(SPOILERS AHEAD) And Just Like That…Chris Noth has been scrapped from the show’s season finale.
According to TVLine, the season finale of the HBO Max revival featured a cameo from Noth’s character Big when Sarah Jessica Parker‘s Carrie visits Paris’ Pont des Arts bridge to spread his ashes in the Seine river. Afterward, Big, who died in the first episode of the sequel, was going to appear to Carrie. However, sources tell the outlet that the February 3 finale will be scrapping that fantasy element, deeming it not essential to the storyline, which is about Carrie getting closure.
The change comes after Noth was accused of sexual assault by several women. In the wake of the allegations, the actor has been dropped by his representation and his gig on CBS’ The Equalizer. Peloton also stopped airing a brand new spot that featured the 67-year-old.
(WASHINGTON) — Thursday marks one year since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and Democrats plan to observe the anniversary with somber tributes at the building that’s the symbol of American democracy.
The events in Washington will include a moment of silence, a panel discussion with historians, first-hand testimonies from lawmakers and a prayer vigil on the Capitol steps.
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are scheduled to make remarks at the Capitol where the White House says the president will address the “singular responsibility” former President Donald Trump had “for the chaos and carnage” witnessed and commemorate law enforcement officers who protected the lives of lawmakers last year. No Republican leaders are expected to attend the ceremonies.
ABC News Live will provide all-day coverage of Thursday’s events at the Capitol and examine the continuing fallout for American democracy one year since the Jan. 6 siege.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 06, 9:21 am
Harris ties ‘fragility of democracy’ to push for voting rights legislation
A somber Vice President Kamala Harris, in remarks ahead of Biden, said what the “extremists who roamed these halls targeted” last year when was not only an attack on the lives of elected leaders and the 2020 election.
“What they sought to degrade and destroy was not only a building, hallowed as it is. What they were assaulting. were the institution’s the values, the ideals that generations of Americans have marched, picketed, and shed blood to establish and defend,” she said.
The vice president, who was at the Capitol on the morning of Jan. 6 last year, reflected on what she called “the dual nature of democracy: its fragility and its strength.”
“The strength of democracy is the rule of law,” she said. “And the fragility of democracy is this. That if we are not vigilant, if we do not defend it, democracy simply will not stand. It will falter and fail.”
She ended her remarks with a call to pass Democrats voting rights bills in the Senate as restrictive voting laws are enacted across the country.
“But we, the American people, must also do something more. We cannot sit on the sidelines. We must unite in defense of our democracy,” she said.
Jan 06, 9:16 am
Biden arrives at the Capitol
Arriving on Capitol Hill, reporters asked the president ahead of his remarks how he was feeling heading into the day.
The president, flanked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, appeared to respond, “Praying that we will never have a day like we had a year ago today.”
Notably, he did not respond when asked if he held Trump personally responsible for the attack.
The three walked towards Statuary Hall, which rioters stormed through one year ago.
Jan 06, 9:02 am
Excerpts from Biden’s prepared remarks on Jan. 6
To mark one year since a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed through the Capitol — including Statuary Hall where Biden will soon speak — and attempted to breach the House chamber in an attempt to undo the 2020 election, in his remarks this morning, Biden will say that Americans are facing a moment when “we must decide what kind of nation we are going to be.”
“Are we going to be a nation that accepts political violence as a norm? Are we going to be a nation where we allow partisan election officials to overturn the legally expressed will of the people? Are we going to be a nation that lives not by the light of the truth but in the shadow of lies?” Biden will say according to speech excerpts released by the White House.
“We cannot allow ourselves to be that kind of nation. The way forward is to recognize the truth and to live by it,” the excerpt read.
While Biden is not expected to mention the former president by name, the White House said he will lay out the “singular responsibility President Trump has for the chaos and carnage that we saw.”
Upon Biden’s arrival to the Capitol, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer greeted him. The pair flanked the president as they walked towards Statuary Hall.
Jan 06, 8:46 am
Fortified fencing, massive force, not part of anniversary scene
Armored military vehicles, concertina wire atop non-scalable fencing and the massive show of force that fortified Capitol Hill in the aftermath of the violent attack on democracy last Jan. 6 are not defining Thursday’s anniversary.
The security posture in Washington, by comparison, appears fairly ordinary. The temporary fencing that ringed the Capitol for more than six months, and again briefly for a September demonstration has not returned, though that could change quickly if conditions warrant, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas in a recent interview.
In a briefing Tuesday, Manger said his office was aware of several events planned for the day but that “most of them aren’t of much concern to us.”
“There’s no intelligence that indicates that there would be any problems,” he said.
Jan 06, 8:30 am
By the numbers: DOJ investigates Jan. 6
At least 704 accused rioters have been charged by the Department of Justice, according to an ABC News count. At least 172 have pleaded guilty to their changes.
The FBI is still seeking 350 individuals believed to have committed violent acts on the Capitol grounds, according to the DOJ, including over 250 who assaulted police officers.
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin, Alexander Mallin and Will Steakin
Jan 06, 8:06 am
Capitol Police union praises officers’ ‘dedication and commitment’
The union representing United States Capitol Police officers praised the “dedication and commitment” of those who protected the Capitol building one year ago.
“Today, we recognize the dedication and commitment to mission of the men and women who put their own lives and safety on the line to defend the U.S. Capitol,” Gus Papathanasiou, chair of the union, said in a statement Thursday. “We especially pay tribute to Officer Sicknick who died after being injured during the rioting, and to Officer Liebengood who tragically took his own life after the attack.”
According to Papathanasiou, 80 Capitol Police officers sustained injuries that day, with some so serious they are still not back at work. He said members of the force remain “committed to our mission,” but that comes with an increase in officers as well as improved intelligence and communications between officers and leadership.
Papathanasiou noted that the legacy of Jan. 6 — from a policing perspective — should be a police force that is better prepared, with an eye toward readiness if an attack of such scale ever occurred again.
“Going forward, this Union will work with the Department to ensure those sacrifices will not be in vain,” he added. “We must ensure that the events of January 6th are never repeated.”
(WASHINGTON) — Thursday marks one year since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and Democrats plan to observe the anniversary with somber tributes at the building that’s the symbol of American democracy.
The events in Washington will include a moment of silence, a panel discussion with historians, first-hand testimonies from lawmakers and a prayer vigil on the Capitol steps.
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are scheduled to make remarks at the Capitol where the White House says the president will address the “singular responsibility” former President Donald Trump had “for the chaos and carnage” witnessed and commemorate law enforcement officers who protected the lives of lawmakers last year. No Republican leaders are expected to attend the ceremonies.
ABC News Live will provide all-day coverage of Thursday’s events at the Capitol and examine the continuing fallout for American democracy one year since the Jan. 6 siege.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 06, 8:30 am
By the numbers: DOJ investigates Jan. 6
At least 704 accused rioters have been charged by the Department of Justice, according to an ABC News count. At least 172 have pleaded guilty to their changes.
The FBI is still seeking 350 individuals believed to have committed violent acts on the Capitol grounds, according to the DOJ, including over 250 who assaulted police officers.
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin, Alexander Mallin and Will Steakin
Jan 06, 8:06 am
Capitol Police union praises officers’ ‘dedication and commitment’
The union representing United States Capitol Police officers praised the “dedication and commitment” of those who protected the Capitol building one year ago.
“Today, we recognize the dedication and commitment to mission of the men and women who put their own lives and safety on the line to defend the U.S. Capitol,” Gus Papathanasiou, chair of the union, said in a statement Thursday. “We especially pay tribute to Officer Sicknick who died after being injured during the rioting, and to Officer Liebengood who tragically took his own life after the attack.”
According to Papathanasiou, 80 Capitol Police officers sustained injuries that day, with some so serious they are still not back at work. He said members of the force remain “committed to our mission,” but that comes with an increase in officers as well as improved intelligence and communications between officers and leadership.
Papathanasiou noted that the legacy of Jan. 6 — from a policing perspective — should be a police force that is better prepared, with an eye toward readiness if an attack of such scale ever occurred again.
“Going forward, this Union will work with the Department to ensure those sacrifices will not be in vain,” he added. “We must ensure that the events of January 6th are never repeated.”
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 832,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62.3% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 06, 4:05 am
American Medical Association criticizes CDC’s new guidance
The American Medical Association, the nation’s largest association of physicians, has criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new quarantine and isolation guidance for COVID-19, saying the recommendations “are risking further spread of the virus.”
The CDC updated its guidelines on Dec. 27, saying asymptomatic people who test positive for COVID-19 should self-isolate for five days rather than 10.
“The American people should be able to count on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for timely, accurate, clear guidance to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. Instead, the new recommendations on quarantine and isolation are not only confusing, but are risking further spread of the virus,” the American Medical Association’s president, Dr. Gerald E. Harmon, said in a statement Wednesday night.
Harmon referenced data cited by the CDC in its rationale for shortening the isolation period, which estimates 31% of people remain infectious five days after a positive COVID-19 test, suggesting that data proves thousands of Americans could return to their lives while still infected.
“With hundreds of thousands of new cases daily and more than a million positive reported cases on January 3, tens of thousands — potentially hundreds of thousands of people — could return to work and school infectious if they follow the CDC’s new guidance on ending isolation after five days without a negative test,” Harmon said. “Physicians are concerned that these recommendations put our patients at risk and could further overwhelm our health care system.”
Harmon said a negative COVID-19 test should be required for ending isolation after a positive test, as reentering society without knowing whether an individual is still positive ultimately risks further transmission of the virus.
Although test availability remains an issue nationwide, Harmon also called on the Biden administration to ramp up production and distribution of tests, adding that “a dearth of tests at the moment does not justify omitting a testing requirement to exit a now shortened isolation.”
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Jan 06, 3:16 am
Chicago cancels school for 2nd day
Officials in Chicago canceled all public school classes on Thursday amid discussions about classroom safety with the city’s teachers.
Classes had been canceled on Wednesday after a majority of the Chicago Teachers Union’s membership voted in favor of remote learning during a surge in COVID-19 cases. School officials called their action an illegal strike.
“In a time of crisis related to this pandemic, the worst possible thing we can do is abandon the science and data,” Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot said on Twitter. “If you care about our students and families as we do, we will not relent. We are standing firm and fighting to get our kids back to in-person learning.”
Teachers were locked out of their remote classrooms on Wednesday, according to the union. Union leaders asked members to again try to log in on Thursday, urging them post photos on social media.
The union on Wednesday filed an unfair labor practice charge against the Chicago Board of Education.
“We have rights to safety and we’ve been at the bargaining table for 20 months to secure those rights,” Jesse Sharkey, the union’s president, said in a statement.
Chicago Public Schools are among the largest in the country, with about 340,000 students in 636 schools.
Jan 06, 2:43 am
TSA reports more than 3,000 employee cases
The Transportation Security Administration reported 3,037 current COVID-19 infections on Wednesday.
The agency’s infections have increased by about 16% in two days, according to TSA data.
The agency, which employs about 60,000, said it’s had a cumulative 15,191 COVID-19 cases. The agency said 12,154 employees have recovered and 33 have died.
-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney
Jan 05, 9:02 pm
CDC signs off on Pfizer boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given the final go-ahead for children ages 12 to 15 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster.
“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement endorsing the CDC advisory panel’s recommendation to expand booster eligibility.
The CDC recommends that adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 get a Pfizer booster five months after their second dose.
(NEW YORK) — In May 2020, as protests over the death of George Floyd raged across the country, federal security officer Dave Patrick Underwood was shot and killed while protecting the federal courthouse in Oakland, California.
The alleged shooter, Steven Carrillo, an active-duty Air Force staff sergeant, carried a ballistic vest with a patch that featured an igloo and a Hawaiian-style print that are both associated with the far-right anti-government boogaloo movement, according to the federal criminal complaint.
The criminal complaint also said Carrillo — who was charged with murder and pleaded not guilty — used his own blood to scrawl “boog” on the hood of a vehicle and met an accomplice online through a Facebook group centered on the boogaloo movement.
Now, Underwood’s sister, Angela, is suing Facebook in California Superior Court, alleging the company used its algorithms and group function to actively recruit members for far-right extremist groups and promote dangerous content. Her lawsuit also alleges Facebook ignored the foreseeable risk of violence in order to maximize profits and united Carrillo and his alleged accomplice — two people it says would otherwise have not known each other.
Promoting extremist activity, the lawsuit said, contributed to Underwood’s death.
“The shooting was not a random act of violence. It was the culmination of an extremist plot hatched and planned on Facebook by two men who Meta [Facebook’s new company name] connected through Facebook’s groups infrastructure and its use of algorithms designed and intended to increase user engagement and, correspondingly, Meta’s profits,” the civil complaint, filed in Alameda County, said.
“Facebook bears responsibility for the murder of my brother,” Angela Underwood Jacobs said in a statement. “Facebook knowingly promoted inflammatory and violent content and connected extremists who plotted and carried out the killing of my brother. Facebook must be held responsible for the harm it has caused not just my family, but so many others through its promotion of extremist content and by promoting algorithms to actively recruit members to its web platform.”
Her attorney, Ted Leopold, cited whistleblower testimony before Congress that accused Facebook of knowingly encouraging and promoting extremist content.
“We believe and intend to show that Facebook’s conduct has led to a rise in extremism throughout the world and acts of real-world violence, including the murder of Officer Underwood,” Leopold said.
Earlier this year, Facebook said it has taken measures to counter hate and extremism online.
And in testimony before Congress in March, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said “the vast majority of what people see on Facebook is neither political nor hateful” and that “we work hard to prevent abuse of our platform.”
“Facebook’s mission is to bring people together, and we stand firmly against hate and the incitement of violence,” Zuckerberg testified. “We have industry-leading policies that prohibit such content on our platforms, and we invest billions of dollars and work tirelessly to improve and enforce these policies.”
In June 2020, Facebook said it removed more than 200 accounts associated with a “violent US-based anti-government network” that “uses the term boogaloo but is distinct from the broader and loosely-affiliated boogaloo movement.”
“For months, we have removed boogaloo content when there is a clear connection to violence or a credible threat to public safety, and today’s designation will mean we remove more content going forward, including Facebook Groups and Pages,” the statement said.
In Boogaloo Facebook groups, the suspect, Carrillo, mused about taking advantage of protests to stir up unrest and violence against police, according to the civil complaint which quoted his post: “Go to the riots and support our own cause. Show them the real targets. Use their anger to fuel our fire. Think outside the box. We have mobs of angry people to use to our advantage.”
Carrillo believed that the Boogaloo, or second civil war, was “kicking off now and if its not kicking off in your hood then start it,” according to the civil complaint.
